Autumn feeding of bees with sugar syrup

For a bee colony to survive the winter well, it's essential to have a sufficient supply of honey in sealed combs. All beekeepers agree that the best option for wintering bees is to prepare their own food. However, there are a number of reasons why feeding bees with sugar syrup in the fall is necessary.

Why and in what cases is autumn fertilizing necessary?

It's important to note that syrup feeding is only used for strong, healthy colonies. This is because bees expend a significant amount of energy converting it into honey, which wears them out. Therefore, only brood bees survive the winter. Weakened individuals may not be able to withstand the strain. To restore the health of such colonies, beekeepers combine weak and strong colonies.

When fertilizing is necessary:

• if there were not enough honey flows and the bees were unable to store the required amount of honey for the winter.
• to restore the supply of natural product after pumping;
• if for some reason the honey prepared for the winter has started to crystallize;
• not all cells are sealed;
• Honeydew is the predominant honey in honeycombs. It is obtained from the sweet sap secreted by certain insects, such as caterpillars. It is also derived from the sweet sap of plants (honeydew). It is harmful because it is poorly digested by insects and makes them thirsty.
• Useful additives and medicines are added to the composition.

The timing of autumn feeding of bees with sugar syrup depends on the region, but usually no later than September 10.

In fact, preparation for winter begins after the last honey flow. In August, the final honey extraction is done, and from that point on, feeding can begin. Delaying the process until September will have negative consequences. The brood bees will begin to process the syrup and won't survive until spring. Excessive feeding can signal the queen to lay eggs.

Due to the onset of cold weather, young bees will be unable to fly, so they will begin cleaning themselves in the hive. Excrement and diarrhea in the frame indicate a risk of insect disease, particularly nazematosis. Beetles will not feed on honey from combs containing excrement.

During this period, after the final extraction, measures are taken to clear the hive of mites and implement disease prevention measures. Experienced beekeepers point out that it's important not to overdo it with supplements added to the feed, as they are poorly digested by the insects in winter and can also cause diarrhea.

Read also:

• Honey with royal jelly
• Bee bread: beneficial properties

What types of syrups are there and how are they prepared?

Recipes for feeding bees with sugar syrup in the fall vary. Like every gardener, beekeepers have their own approaches, additives, and distribution methods.

Much depends on the beekeeping region, and whether the hives are overwintered indoors or outdoors. There are three types of supplemental feeding and syrup:

1. Sugar. But here too, each beekeeper chooses his own recipe.
2. Inverted. Its distinctive feature is that it is better absorbed by the bee's digestive system. Natural honey is added to the mixture. The bee suffers less wear and tear. This is because sucrose, over time, converts into glucose and fructose.
3. Honey is full. A mixture of natural bee honey and water.

Important! For a successful winter and a strong colony, not only honey (carbohydrates) but also protein is needed. The best protein source is bee bread (flower pollen). Therefore, a small amount of it should be present in the hive.

You can feed insects only in the evening, when they have finished their flight.

Sugar syrup

When using sugar syrup, consider how much honey the bees can extract from it. It's incorrect to compare the amount of nutrient solution with the final product, the processed honey. Only the amount of sugar consumed should be considered. On average, a kilogram of sugar yields a kilogram of natural product. A quarter of this is used by the bees for processing and transporting it to the honeycombs.

Ultimately, for a family to survive the winter well, there needs to be 2 to 3 kg of honey in one honeycomb.

Which sugar and water is best to use:

1. Only good-quality white fine sugar, without any additives or impurities, is suitable for making this mixture. The water should be soft, preferably from springs, wells, or purified water.
2. As mentioned, each beekeeper makes their own adjustments to the formula. Experience shows that a 60-64% composition is optimal. Some beekeepers prefer a 70% feed.
3. The syrup is diluted with water brought to a boil, but not boiling. The insects are fed with the slightly warmed mixture (about 40 degrees).

Optional: pine syrup, fir oil, silver water, etc.

Feeding methods are also different:

1. Using feeders placed on top of the hive. To do this, fold back the canvas slightly to create a gap and place the feeder. These are sold ready-made, but most beekeepers make their own.
2. You can pour syrup into several frames.
3. They are installed inside the house.

Feeding bees with sugar syrup in bags is also popular in the fall. For this purpose, as with feeders, a small slit is made in the canvas. The syrup is poured into thick plastic bags, usually 30x40, and placed on top of the canvas. You can make several small punctures with a thin needle. However, the bees will also puncture the bag themselves if they find the food.

If bees overwinter in a moss house rather than outdoors, they need less food for the winter. This also depends on the number of frames left for the winter. The optimal setting is 8-9 frames per hive, each containing 2 to 3 kg of honey.

Inverted syrup

Inverted feeds, in which sucrose is broken down and more easily digested by bees, are prepared with the addition of honey. There are also syrup recipes without honey, containing food acids. The main goal is to convert sugar. The addition of acid remains controversial among beekeepers.

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What are the advantages of this type of feeding:

• insects spend less energy on digestion and, therefore, do not wear out as much;
• It has been noted that they are more resilient and active in the spring;
• has a positive effect on weakened families;
• It is not subject to the crystallization process.

It's more expensive than sugar syrup, but cheaper than natural honey. It's a kind of golden mean.

Cooking recipes

Method 1 (without honey)

Compound: water (6 l), sugar (7 kg), citric acid (12-14 g).

Preparation: Everything is mixed and heated to a boil, then left to steep for several hours.

Method 2

Add 10% honey to 70% sugar syrup. Bring the water to a boil and pour in the sugar, then add the honey. Mix thoroughly and let sit for a week, during which time the sugar will break down.

Method 3 (using special preparations)

Nowadays, you can invert regular syrup quite quickly using additives like Pchelit. Take equal parts water and sugar, then add the additive according to the instructions. Fermentation takes an average of two days, at temperatures ranging from 20 to 45 degrees Celsius.

Honey sated

This is a supplemental feed with honey diluted with water in varying concentrations. It's the most expensive, but the most beneficial method. Moreover, you can use up your old stock of natural bee products.

This method has been shown to increase insect populations in the colony and enhance resistance to various diseases. The concentration is selected depending on the feeding goals.

For August-September feeding, use a thick honey mixture. To do this, add one portion of water to three portions of honey. The thickened honey is first melted, not over a fire, but in a double boiler. The water is boiled and cooled, and the ingredients are mixed at 40 degrees Celsius.

Important point! Cast iron cookware should not be used for preparing solutions. Food-grade aluminum, plastic, and enamel containers are suitable.

Medicinal additives to fertilizers

Food supplements and medications are often added to bee feed in the fall. Coniferous concentrates provide an additional source of vitamins and protein, and also have a detrimental effect on mites. Juniper helps fight various infections.

A tincture of several cloves of garlic helps with many diseases, including varroatosis.

A hot pepper tincture kills mites but is completely harmless to bees; in fact, they even like it. The tincture (45-50 grams of pepper per liter of boiling water in a thermos) is mixed with a liter of syrup. The tincture is also sprayed onto the frames. Sometimes hot pepper is mixed with wormwood tincture.

Hawthorn berry tincture added to syrup boosts insect immunity. For this purpose, the berries are best crushed.

You can use ready-made products, such as KAS-81. It's also mixed with fertilizer. It's an extract from pine needles.

In summary, it's important to note that feeding bees with sugar syrup in the fall is crucial for the overwintering, survival, and health of the colony. Each beekeeper determines the type and composition individually. Inverted syrup and sap are more easily digested. However, it's important to ensure that protein-rich foods are present in addition to honey reserves.

This is an excellent way to improve the health of insects and combat many diseases. Natural supplements are preferred for this purpose. If all preventative measures are carried out promptly and efficiently, strong bees will produce abundant honey next season.